Public Statements

Labrador Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Obamacare

Statement

Idaho First District Congressman Raúl Labrador today issued the following statement on the United States Supreme Court 5-4 ruling upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as "ObamaCare":

"The decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that Obamacare is constitutional undermines the concept of limited government embodied by the Tenth Amendment. Our Founding Fathers would be appalled that their vision of a limited government no longer exists.

The court has declared that Congress has the ability to regulate Americans' behavior by using taxes to force them to act. This should frighten all Americans who believe in freedom and liberty. It is now more clear than ever American people need leaders committed to limited government.

The underlying philosophy of Obamacare was always about more than just health care. The fundamental grievance that I have with this law, and in particular the individual mandate component, is that no government should ever be powerful enough to compel its citizens to purchase a product or a service under penalty of law. What is there now to prevent the federal government, or one of its agencies, from taxing us to compel the purchase of life insurance, a cell phone or any other product Washington deems is necessary for us all?

One of the first votes I cast as your Congressman was to repeal this massive government takeover of our nation's health care. We were right then in opposing Obamacare and we are still right now."